Someone knocked on the door, and I swallowed in fear. I threw my phone back into the depths of the bag and tossed the robe that Jean had left me on top of it before I went to open the door.It’s probably a servant, bringing me breakfast or something.But at the door stood Thibaut, in a carelessly belted woolen tunic, without a cloak. In place of his usual leather boots, he wore a kind of cloth shoe. His long hair was a little unkempt, and he wore a white cotton cap on his head that made me bite my lip in a desperate attempt to not burst out laughing. Beside Thibaut stood his squire, Philip, neat and polished, but somewhat bleary-eyed.
“Your Royal Highness, Seigneur Philip,” I said with a bow when I came to my senses. Thibaut nodded his head at me.
What is the protocol, what is the protocol?I asked myself frantically.To be silent until he speaks? But he came to my room! And why did he come here?I envisioned the worst possible scenarios. How could Jean leave me here alone?
“Life is just a dream,” Thibaut sang softly, still standing on the threshold.Could he read my mind?
“Would you like to come in, your Highness?” I finally said and stepped out of the way. Thibaut grunted a sort of yes, quite kindly, and came inside. I looked at Philip questioningly. “Shall I join you, your Majesty?” Philip asked Thibaut.
“No need,” Thibaut replied and approached the window. “Wait for me outside the door.” Philip nodded and turned his back to me. I closed the door softly, hoping not to insult him, and turned to face the room.
Thibaut sat on one of the chairs and ran a hand through his hair, which was loose under his funny white hat. He looked around the room, inspecting its length and width.
“Arsur made sure you got the best room. It is second only to the rooms in which I reside,” said Thibaut coolly, as if praising his favorite student.
I nodded, still unsure of how to comport myself in his presence.
“But why have they not yet lit the fire for you?” Thibaut was angry. I had no idea what to say.
“Ah, yes,” he said, with that friendly, arrogant twinkle of his. “You don’t have people—servants—for some reason.” I had no idea whether he was just pointing out a fact or whether there was some hidden meaning. My eyes darted around the room and finally landed on the bottle and small clay cups. Here was a comfortable escape from my embarrassment.
“Shall I pour you a cup, your Highness?” I asked softly.
“Certainly,” Thibaut said with satisfaction. He called to Philip, who opened the door at once, and instructed him to light the fire. In less than a minute, Philip brought what looked to me to be a small torch and skillfully piled the wood. Soon enough, the fire crackled, and I thanked Thibaut for his consideration. He nodded distractedly, opened his mouth and closed it again, and then drained the cup of wine. It appeared that he wanted to start a conversation but was not sure how to do it. This was clearly out of the ordinary for him—to feel unsure about something.
“Might I be of assistance in some way, your Majesty?” I gambled finally.What will he do to me anyway, kill me on the spot?
Thibaut cleared his throat. “I am just asking myself, my lady, if indeed you can help me.”
I looked at him with a full willingness to help. The heat that spread from the wood stove through the room relaxed my limbs, which were rigid with cold.
He poured himself another cup of wine and one for me too. I knew that if I drank wine first thing in the morning, after yesterday when I had eaten almost nothing, I would likely faint.
“I am a little weak,” I said when his eyes wandered reproachfully from my full glass to my eyes. “I fear I ate almost nothing yesterday.” Thibaut clicked his tongue, sighed, and called to Philip again.
“See to it that the lady gets her morning meal,” he said. Philip nodded and disappeared. Thibaut sipped from the wine, and I sat in a rigid position, staring helplessly at the door.
“I have written many songs of love,” Thibaut said suddenly, which brought me back to life. This confused me completely, and evidently my expression amused him. “You don’t believe me, my lady?” he asked with a boastful grin.
“Of course I believe you,” I replied at once, and almost added, “I’ve even heard a few,” but I stopped myself in time. Thibaut opened his mouth to say something, but a light knock on the door distracted him. Philip entered, accompanied by a young man who bore a tray with cheese, bread, a little bowl of olive oil, a mound of salt, a bowl of olives, and a cluster of grapes. The youth set the tray down on the table painstakingly, and Philip glanced at Thibaut. He nodded lightly, and without a further word, Philip left with the youth. I tried not to devour the food, but when I saw that Thibaut was wolfing it down with abandon, I started to chew and swallow whatever I could get my hands on.
After we’d spent several minutes eating heartily together, Thibaut leaned back on the armchair. I continued chewing and swallowing, but more elegantly. “I have written many songs about love, and I am a great admirer of women,” Thibaut began, still watching me eating. “I always dreamed of meeting a fairy, and I never would have imagined that I would encounter such in the Holy Land, of all places,” he went on.
I stopped chewing and swallowing reluctantly. There was no point in protesting. He was there when I passed through the spring the first timeand had evidently simply accepted the fact that my presence was enchanted.What do I do? Start explaining to him that I am from another time?
“The miraculous and supernatural do not scare me,” Thibaut resumed, with a tenderness that began to worry me. He terrified but also intrigued me. Thibaut, Count of Champagne and King of Navarre, had a truly majestic power. The past twenty-four hours had made me feel for him the reverence that was absent from our first meeting. His every nuance held the assurance that his will would be done, and at once. I felt a sliver of attraction to him and pushed it away with all my might.
“Arsur asked that I take care of you during his absence,” said Thibaut. I nodded humbly, grateful that he had made sure my room was warmed and food brought to me. “He will surely arrive later today, after he fulfills his duties at home,” he added meaningfully. I sipped from the wine and did not dare look at him. I was still irritated and a little insulted by Jean for abandoning me, even though I knew that he had no choice.
“My lady the fairy,” said Thibaut, softer still, and I felt weak. “I am a great admirer of women, but I cannot permit you to distract my best knight. Besides, he is married to a good woman and entirely occupied by matters of the kingdom. He asked me to take care of you, but I must take care of him too.”
At this point, I had to admit I agreed with him. All of this had suddenly become too complicated and fraught, and I wanted to ask if his Royal Highness might see to my safe passage back to my spring in Atlit, where I would disappear to my world and never disturb them again. But before I could get the words out, Thibaut stood and came over to me, and when I moved to stand, too, he grasped my neck tightly. As I stood, he pressed me against him, and I could feel every appendage of his body through the soft wool.
“I, on the other hand, can give you what you want,” Thibaut whispered lustfully. I felt all of my nerve endings light up. He must havewashed the night before because he no longer had the musty, damp smell that I had come to associate with him.
“To make love to a fairy—that really would be a fitting adventure for a fine song,” Thibaut mumbled and grabbed my behind with his two large hands. “I know what you are; I am familiar with miraculous creatures of your kind,” he went on, whispering into my ear and tickling it.
“What am I?” I managed to whisper. I understood that I was under his protection and dependent on his good will, and I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I was cut off from everything I knew. I felt pulled to him against my will and was also filled with disgust for this arrogant king and for myself.
